Peter Osugo, a former football administrator who was credited with renaming the Nigerian national football team to ‘Green Eagles’ has died.
Osugo passed away on January 24, 2022, at the age of 92, according to his son Leo Osugo who made the announcement on behalf of the family on Thursday.
Fondly called PECOS, Osugo was a veteran journalist and before his death, he managed the national team as Team Manager and also managed the Stationery Stores during its successful years.
Osugo hailed from the Umu-Obi Osugo Royal family of Ase Community in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area of present-day Delta State.
According to Goal.com, the national team was originally known as ‘UK Tourists’ due to tour to several cities in the United Kingdom with the likes of Teslim Balogun, Peter Anieke and skipper Etim Henshaw.
The team faced the likes of Marine Cosby, Bishop Auckland, Isthmians League XI, Leytonstone FC, Corinthians League XI, Dulwich Hamlet, South Liverpool, Bromley and Athenian League XI in friendly matches due to the influence of the then NFA boss, captain D.H Holley.
But around 1957/58, Nigeria’s nickname changed from the UK Tourists to ‘Red Devils’ because they dawned red jerseys at that time.
Reports credited “Red Devils” nickname to Harriet Allen (wife of NFA secretary Reginald Allen) in 1958 until Osugo came up with the name ‘Green Eagles’ in 1961.
By then, Nigeria who was a colony of the British Empire had gained independence on October 1, 1960, and the name Green Eagles could be linked to the flag’s colour alongside the Eagle – which embellishes Nigeria’s coat of arms.
As Green Eagles, the country participated in their first Olympic football event at Mexico in 1968, won the 1973 All African Games and ruled Africa at the 1980 AFCON played on home soil, Goal added.
However, the name of the team was again changed in 1988 by Vice President Augustus Aikhomu from Green Eagles to Super Eagles when the team won a Silver medal in Morocco.
Nigeria were defeated 1-0 by Cameroon in the final of the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations played at Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca.
Manfred Honer’s men which included the likes of Despite the loss, the team, which included the likes of Samuel Okwaraji, Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, Augustine Eguavoen, Bright Omokaro and Peter Rufai, arrived in Lagos to a hero’s welcome.
The nickname Super Eagles were officially changed during a reception organised to celebrate the silver medal won at the tournament.
WuzupNigeria reports that the Super Eagles have gone on to win three AFCON gold medals, coming third at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt before a Round of 16 elimination to Tunisia at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
